Past Mistakes
by JD11
Summary: It had been seven years since she had seen him. And suddenly, like none of it had even happened, there he was. And god forgive her, she could have fallen for him all over again. But she had promised herself a long time ago that she never would. Huddy
1. Chapter 1

_Author's Note: _This isn't what I normally write, but I just sort of started writing it and figured, what the hell, I'll post it and see where it goes. Hope you enjoy!

_Summary_: It had been seven years since she had seen him. And suddenly, like none of it had even happened, there he was. And god forgive her, she could have fallen for him all over again. But she had promised herself a long time ago that she never would.

/-/-

**Past Mistakes  
**

"Dr. Cuddy."

"Jeez! House!"

He couldn't help but laugh at the way her hand rose to her heaving chest as she spun around to find him lounging on her couch.

"Sorry," he smirked as he stood up, taking two easy steps towards her.

"You're not sorry," was all she said before taking a seat behind her desk. "You're late. You were supposed to be here at nine."

"Eh," he shrugged, "I think it's important to let your employer see the real you before they get used to false ideas."

"So you wanted to impress upon me that you're going to be late every day, that you already know how to break into my office, and that you have a distain for clinic duty."

"How could you possibly know the last part already?"

"I guessed."

"Oh… Yeah, well…"

"By the way, you have clinic duty in ten minutes."

"Ah… so this is how it's going to be?" Cuddy looked up, rolling her eyes before turning her attention back to her paperwork. "I don't even get to meet my team?"

"You don't have a team yet."

"Oh, right. When do I get one, by the way?"

"Whenever you take the time to look through those files on your desk and conduct a few interviews."

"Yeah… all that fun stuff."

"Yeah."

He nodded, sighing as he made to turn away. "Um… Lisa," his eyes fell on her just as she looked up in response to her name. His mouth opened and his tongue made an attempt to speak, but nothing came out. She cocked an eyebrow when he failed to do anything but stare at her. "Never mind."

/-/-

Lisa sighed as she leaned back into her chair. She watched House's back as he retreated from her office, turning to the right. She smirked when he came back across her window.

Slowly, she shook her head, her eyes falling back to the loads of paper work she still had to do. It could wait.

She stood, pacing around her desk.

She couldn't believe she had been insane enough to hire Greg House. She had swore the day she walked out of his life that she would never walk back into it.

Well she hadn't. He had crawled back into hers. He was jobless and a couple of weeks away from being evicted. She couldn't say no to him.

Seven years. It had been seven years since she had seen him. And suddenly, like none of it had even happened, there he was. He was a little older, a little more arrogant, and that bored air that he had always carried around him seemed a little thicker. But nothing else had changed. Not his cocky smile or his "I'm better than you" gait. Not his piercing gaze or his scruffy appearance.

And god forgive her, she could have fallen for him all over again. But she had promised herself a long time ago that she never would.

/-/- **Two Weeks Later **

"House! What did you say to your patient?"

"What?" he asked as he glanced up from his Rubin sandwich. Cuddy stood there, hands on her hips and eyes blazing, staring down at him.

"Matt Robins."

"Who?"

"Tall guy. Black hair. Bad breath. Rash on his thigh."

"Oh, him… um…" his tongue snaked out, licking away some crumbs on the side of his mouth, before he looked back up at her, "What was the original question again?"

She couldn't help but huff and roll her eyes at his short attention span. "What did you say to Mr. Robins?"

"I couldn't honestly say… There are so many people to insult in one day, you can't expect me to keep it all straight."

"He's threatening to sue you."

"So?"

"So?" Cuddy was half ready to ask again, but she stopped herself. It wasn't worth the effort. Instead, she settled for sighing and rubbing her face. That was when she noticed that he wasn't alone. "You're not going to introduce us?"

"Hmm?" he mumbled through a full mouth; Cuddy just rolled her eyes, some things never changed. "Oh, um… Lisa, Stacy. Stacy, Lisa."

"Hi, I'm Stacy Warner."

"Lisa Cuddy," she said with a smile as she accepted Stacy's outstretched hand. "His boss, unfortunately."

"Yes… well I live with him, so you probably got the better end of the deal."

"Oh really?" Cuddy turned an arched brow on House, but his focused seemed lost in his sandwich. "How long have you two been…?"

"Four years."

She felt her eyes stray awkwardly to Stacy's fingers, which were laced under her chin, but she found nothing there decorating them. She nearly felt herself sigh in relieve, but that was pathetic. She curled her fingers around the nearest chair- she needed something to rest her hands on.

"House never mentioned anything about that."

"Yes, well… You probably have something more interesting to be doing, eh Cuddy?"

"Actually no, I've got a few minutes."

"Oh, how convenient for you."

"But you know, I seem to recall some clinic duty that someone conveniently forgot to do this morning."

"Really? I knew Conors was slacking off this morning."

"Who's Conors?"

"I don't have a Conors on my team?"

"No."

"Oh… Then what's the tall guy's name?"

"That would be Dr. Richards."

"Really? Then what's the short one's name?"

"That's Dr. Corwin."

"Huh."

"And I wasn't talking about either of them. You've still got two hours of clinic."

"Yeah… I'll get on that in a bit."

"House."

"You know, Greg, maybe you should get back to work. I'd hate to be the reason for getting you fired two weeks on the job." His mouth dropped and his gaze turned back to Stacy, who was just smiling as she watched on. "Go. I can tell that Lisa and I have some talking to do."

"Talking? About what?"

"Well definitely not you." House rolled his eyes and looked down at his crumb-filled plate. "I'll see you later tonight."

"Yep," he groaned as he shifted out of his chair.

"Have fun." He mumbled something incoherent as he picked up his tray. Cuddy smirked as she leaned in a grabbed one of the pickles he had tossed to the side of his plate. He paused, holding his tray to her, a phantom of a smirk growing. She looked up at him as she licked the juice off her finger. She had completely forgotten about how he used to get pickles just so she could eat them.

"Two hours, House," was all she could think to say to break his gaze. He just smirked and walked away.

"Sit down; I can't wait to hear this story."

"What story?" Cuddy sank into the chair House had just vacated. Stacy was leaning back, a smirk firmly placed in her eyes. "What?"

"The way Greg talks about you and that… there was something, wasn't there?"

"Um…" she looked away; she could feel her cheeks burning. "A long time ago."

"Well?"

She sighed as she looked back at Stacy. Maybe sitting down with House's girlfriend wasn't the best idea.

"Um, it was in college. We dated… oh, um, from my senior year of undergrad until my junior year of med school. So, his second year of med school until he was an intern."

"Wow, that's pretty serious."

"Yeah, it was for a while."

"And…? Well, I'm guessing since you actually hired him, it ended somewhat on friendly terms."

Cuddy looked away, sighing. She looked back for a moment, ready to open her mouth and speak, but the words fell away and, instead, she just shrugged.

Stacy mockingly imitated the gesture, shaking her head in question. "What's that supposed to mean?"

"Just… Well, we didn't end on the best of terms but… let's just say, I forgave Greg a long time ago."

"Forgave him for what?"

Her face froze in a picture of hesitation, but then she shook her head. "A whole bunch of stupid things… Um, you know, I really should get going. But it was great meeting you. We should definitely talk again- I'd love to hear about you and Greg."

"Yeah. Yeah, we should get together. I'm dying to hear about Greg back in college."

"Oh, he wasn't much different."

"Annoying, insufferable, and absolutely irresistible?"

"Pretty much."

"Good to know."

"Bye."

"See you later."

/-/-

Um... I have no idea where this one is going. This is the first time in a while that I'm just writing as I go, so who knows what's going to happen. Please review and give me your suggestions!

By the way, I've gone back and rearranged the timeline, just for to help those who are jumping into this story late.


	2. Chapter 2

/-/- **Two Days Later **

House scratched his nose as he turned to shut the door behind him. His hand snuck into his pocket as he pulled his keys from his coat pocket and dropped them into the dish before stripping his jacket off and draping it over the coat rack.

He heard it then. Laughter. But it wasn't Stacy. He knew Stacy's laugh. But he also knew that laugh. His eyebrows wrinkled together as his head titled off to the side and his feet set off to head towards the kitchen.

"Hello?" he called as he turned into the room. Stacy and Lisa sat at the kitchen table, both sipping at their coffee and now looking up at him. Stacy was smiling up at him but he didn't notice. Lisa was looking up at him; he watched her transform from comfortable to slightly awkward in his presence.

"What are you doing here?" He asked her. She just shrugged. He eyed Stacy instead as she stood, her fingers running along the table as she walked over to him.

"Just talking about you." He tried to smirk even as he saw that she was preparing to reach up and kiss him. Her hand cupped his cheek, pulling him closer until her lips brushed over his. His eyes roamed over to find Lisa looking down into her coffee cup. He pulled away then, straightening awkwardly.

"Have fun hanging out with James?"

His attention stayed on Lisa, even as he heard Stacy's question. "Hmm?" he looked to her, seeing the question furrowing her brows, "Oh, yeah. It was fun."

"Who's James?"

"Your chief oncologist," he smirked at Lisa.

"I didn't know you two were friends."

"Um… yeah. For a while," he commented absently as he tried to steal Stacy's coffee from her hands. She swatted him away and moved to take her seat back. "So what are you two really doing?"

"I wasn't lying when I said we were talking about you." He looked over at Stacy, watching her smirk at him over her mug. He rolled his eyes, grinning over at Lisa as he considered stealing her coffee cup from her. She used to let him do it. He doubted that she still would. "I never knew you were such a hot commodity in college. I would have pegged you as a geek."

"Me?" Stacy's comment regained his attention. He looked over at him, feigning hurt. "A geek? Never."

Lisa couldn't hold back her snort. Her shoulders shook slightly as she looked up at him. He recognized that mocking gleam in her eyes. "You have always been a geek, just in your own special way."

"Have not."

"Have too."

"Have not," she conceded with a sigh. He stuck his tongue out in victory; she rolled her eyes in response. "Well, I shall leave you two ladies alone. I'm gonna take a shower."

He shot a hand out to grab the edge of the wall as he began turning out of the room. He paused, but only long enough to look back over his shoulder at them. There wasn't much difference to look at. Lisa had longer hair with curls that cascaded down her back while Stacy's hung straight by her shoulders. Stacy was paler, her English complexion doing nothing against Lisa's Greek heritage. Bone structure was similar; height was about the same; they weren't all that different looking. But it was other things- little things. The way Stacy seemed to perch forward in her chair and hold awkwardly onto control of the conversation. The way Lisa liked to sit back with one foot curled under her and hold her coffee cup between both hands. The one struggling for control; the other at ease knowing that she already had it.

He stifled a curse at the sudden pain shooting up his toe. He glanced over his shoulder, but his jammed toe, silently groaning and cursing the ottoman that had been moved in his way. He heard it then, just as he moved to walk further into the house. Two distinct laughs; two distinct personalities vibrating throughout the house.

He could hear hers dominating the other. Loud, booming, heartedly pouring out of her. So like Stacy. A woman of an infinite number of barbs and sarcasm; a woman who knew how to mix charm and wit into a weapon. A woman who got what she wanted when she wanted.

But hers was there as well. It was gentler. A soft but equally as strong tone. Not fighting for dominance and yet still demanding to be heard. That was certainly Lisa Cuddy. A soft, gentle, and compassionate woman. Someone who cared about people and about things. But she was also a person who commanded whatever room she walked into. There was a confidence to her stance, and a silencing power in her voice. When she wanted people to listen, they listened.

He continued his stumbling down the hall, making his way into the bedroom. He stripped off his shirt without thinking about it and his socks soon followed. It wasn't until his hands reached for the buttons on his jeans that he glanced out the bedroom door in the direction of the kitchen. It wasn't so much the idea of stripping with Lisa only a few feet away but the idea of stripping while they were both just a few feet away.

He shook his head, pushing away the notion, and tossed his jeans into a pile on the floor.

He had never really thought about it before but for all the similarities to Lisa he had tried to find in another woman, he had only succeeded in finding that many differences in Stacy. She was similar, yes, but in such a different way. And the relationships themselves weren't much different.

He had meet them both quite by accident- Lisa when he had nearly killed her with a lacrosse ball and Stacy when he spilled coffee on her- and he could imagine that they both had considered him quite the ass before they got to know him. And after that both relationships moved quickly- with Lisa, it was an emotional quickness but with Stacy, it was the physical side that moved fast. In a matter of weeks, he couldn't imagine a day in his life without Lisa. They met after his afternoon practices and her afternoon classes, they had some breakfasts, some lunches, and some dinners together, they went to date-like settings where they hung out, and they did most everything together. He was sure that he had fallen in love with her before she ever agreed to date him. But Stacy, that was a different story. He had meet, dated, or slept with nearly every brunette from NYC to California after medical school who displayed a little spunk and a sense of humour and his original interest in Stacy had been no different. But to that day he didn't know how their crappy first date had led to her moving in with him. But, nevertheless, the sex had come long before any emotional connection.

He just stood there for a long moment, watching the water cascade down. He sighed, finally willing himself to step in. He flinched when the water scolded his back but he didn't turn it down. Instead he focused on that instead, letting the pain take away the memories and the feelings. Letting him forget that he was still waiting to have with Stacy what he had once had with Lisa.

/-/-

"Greg? Greg?!"

"Huh?"

"I'm running out to get pizza. Don't harass Lisa too much!"

"What?" he called back as he stepped out of his room. Lisa couldn't help but let her eyes roam over his body as he made his way through the living room, heading for where she and Stacy were standing in the hall. Jeans hung loosely around his waist and a Kiss t-shirt clung to his formed chest; his bare feet padded softly against the wooden floor; his still damp hair clung awkwardly to his forehead. A stray droplet ran down past his eye and he brushed it away.

"Pizza. Me. Get." His eyes rolled up but they laughed at the sarcasm despite themselves. "Be nice to Lisa."

He laughed openly at that, and Lisa founded herself smiling simply at the sound. His laugh was probably the one thing she missed the most about their long time apart. She missed his smile; she missed his odd, even childish, sense of humour; she missed the feel of him lying next to her in the morning; she missed spending late nights of simply being normal with him; but most of all, she missed the sound of his laugh. It had always managed to make her smile before.

"Lisa? Earth to Lisa…"

"Hmm?"

"Zoned out there for a minute on me."

"Oh, sorry. Were you saying something?"

"Nothing too important. Just asking what kind of pizza."

"Cheese." He made a face, as she knew he would. But she also knew that he had probably already guessed her answer.

"Still on that vegan kick?"

"Still on that carnivore kick?"

"Always." She rolled her eyes at him, mostly because she couldn't think of anything else to say or do. For a moment, she just stood there, hands in the back pockets of her jeans, feet shifting weight from one to the other, eyes wavering from his face to the floor.

"So…"

"So?"

He shrugged. "I dunno. Kind of hoping you had something to talk about."

"Not really," she sighed as he glanced over her shoulder and into the kitchen. She stepped aside, letting him lead her back into the far room.

"Um… well, anything new happen in your life?"

"You mean that isn't work related?"

He turned and smirked at her. "Just for the record, when I ask about your life, I always mean non-work related."

She just smiled at him and sank back down into her chair, folding her one foot beneath her before she reached forward to grab her coffee. Holding it between two hands, she sipped slowly at it. It was quickly cooling off, but that didn't stop her. She watched from the corner of her eye as Greg came up next to her, his hand gently grasping onto the handle. She released it, more out of habit than anything else, before she realized what she was doing. She looked up at him, her face neutral, as she watched him smirking at her, raising the cup to take a large sip. For a moment, she worried that he wouldn't return it, but, once the mug had left his lips, he was lowering it back into her hands. She smiled. It had been a very long time since they had shared a coffee. He always used to steal hers- too lazy and too incapable to make his own.

But then she sighed and her eyes fell closed, hoping that he hadn't noticed. It had been a long time- too long of a time to be sitting there wishing that she could take back their years apart. Wishing that she could take back the pain and the anger and the betrayal. It had been too long but he didn't seem to know that. And neither did her heart.

"How's your mother been?"

Her lungs filled, preparing for an unconvinced sigh, as she nodded. She would never forget how much she owed Greg for keeping her sane while her father had died when she was away at school. He had been there with her when she found out; he had gone with her to the funeral; he had been her rock in a whirlwind of emotions. She looked up at him, unable to believe that it had been that long since her father had died. Unable to believe that his last memory of her mother was a cold day in February, three days after they had buried her father.

"She's been doing very well. She's loving retirement; into a lot of things like yoga and dancing and things like that. She's… doing well."

"That's good to hear."

She nodded, letting her mind drift back for just a moment. He hadn't met a lot of her family- going to that funeral was really one of the first times. But then, she hadn't met much of his either.

Her lips contorted into a large grin as the memories flooded back, her eyes glazed over with the memory of the first and only time she had been invited back to his hometown.

"And how's Marcia?"

"Marcia?" his face wrinkled in confusion; she only smiled larger. She loved when he had that look of concentrated confusion. His eyes suddenly widen and his eyes lit up with understanding. "Oh… um, I'm sure she's doing well. I'm- she's hopefully found a man slightly closer in age to her."

Lisa couldn't hold back her laughter any longer. "How old was she, like ten?"

"Thirteen or something then."

"When you were twenty what? Twenty seven?"

"Um… yeah. That poor thing had always had a crush on me. She was in second grade when I was a senior in high school and she was practically in love with me."

"Oh don't flatter yourself."

"It's true!"

"Well maybe she's still sitting in your little old town pinning away for you. Waiting for the day you might actually return."

"Yeah? You think she's still pinning away?"

"Oh, I happen to know you're a pretty hard one to get over."

She bit her lip almost as soon as the words left her. She glanced away but she knew she had already given away too much in her words and now her body was betraying whatever leverage she had left. She wet her lips and looked right at him. The corners of his lips were twitching, threatening but not quite prepared to fold into a smirk.

"Oh, you do, do you?" She just looked up at him, her face a blanket of neutrality as she desperately tried not to urge him on. "Somehow I doubt that it's Miss Marcia who's been pinning away all these years."

"Yeah? You don't think it's possible."

"Oh I think it's possible. I just think there might be someone else who's been equally as downtrodden about not having me around."

"Oh yeah," she felt the sly smirk appearing on her face and in her voice and she couldn't stop the way she twisted to look him in the eye or the way her body leaned just slightly forward to be closer to him. "And who might that be?"

He lips twitched fully up, his smirk growing into a full-blown smile. "Hmm… Maybe you know her. About five six; black hair with these gorgeous curls; olive skin; grey-blue eyes; saucy personality, with just a hint of bossiness. I think she's a doctor or something."

"Really? Hmm?" she pretended to consider it, her eyes leaving his for just enough time to act as if she were searching her memory for such a person. "Nope. Don't know her."

"You sure? I think you might even share an office with her."

"Hmm… nope. Still not ringing a bell."

"You sure? Cause I'd really love to get her number. You think she'd answer if I called her?"

"I doubt it."

"Really?"

"I'll bet weird, immature men calling her at random would frighten her."

"Yeah, but she likes this weird, immature man."

"You so sure about that?"

"Absolutely."

She didn't know when he had stepped closer to the table. She didn't know when she had gotten to the point that she was leaning so far forward that she may as well have been standing. She didn't know when the last time she had looked away from his dark orbs was. She didn't know what about their conversation was so enchanting that she couldn't look away. She didn't even really know what she was saying, but keeping the banter going seemed more important that actually knowing what was being said. And she almost didn't know what that sound she heard was.

But then everything clicked in her head. Stacy going out to get pizza. The door slamming shut. Stacy's footsteps against the hall floor as she shuffled to get her shoes off.

"Pizza's here! You two still in the kitchen?"

She didn't want to tear her eyes from his- she almost couldn't- but she could only imagine how they looked when they got like that. When they fell so far into the moment that nothing but the other person existed and their gaze was so intense that they couldn't possibly be interrupted by anything before they had declared their conversation over. She didn't know how she would explain it if Stacy found them like that.

"Oh good, you're both still alive. I was a little worried."

"We do manage to work together," he said as he twisted his neck to look over at Stacy as she walked in, the pizza box held in front of her.

"I know, and that still amazes me."

Lisa tried to laugh. She tried to look up at Greg and not see the feistiness in there or feel the mesmerizing affect his gaze had on her. She tried to smile as she spoke with the two of them. She tried to ignore the way Stacy stood just too close to him or the way he tried to hid his discomfort about it. She tried to ignore the fact that there was something going on, something she couldn't quite figure out.

/-/-

Hope you enjoyed!


	3. Chapter 3

_Author's Note: _Okay, so this one is still in between scenes from chapter 1. It's two days after the last chapter. Hope you enjoy!

/-/- **Two Weeks Later **

"Can I ask you a question?"

"Since when do you ask if you can ask a question?"

House smirked over at Cuddy, eyes lighting up at the old snark that he remembered. "Would you ever consider going back out with me?"

He wanted to laugh at the way her eyes darted around the room, as if she expected some intern to be hiding behind the couch or something. It was just them, hidden from the hospital only by the windows making up her office walls. It took her only a moment to survey her office before her eyes returned to him, focusing on him as she tried to gauge how serious he was.

"What are you going on about?"

"Do you need me to rephrase? We dated once; I'm asking if you'd ever consider doing it again."

"Are you kidding?"

"No."

She looked as if she wanted to huff at him or roll her eyes or do something equally as childish, but she didn't. Instead she looked away from him and leaned up against the edge of her desk.

"You're dating Stacy."

"That's not an answer."

She looked up at him. "There is no answer. You're dating someone else. You have no right to ask that question in that situation."

"I have every right to ask it. I'm the one dating her, not you."

"House… No."

"No, you wouldn't or no, you're not going to answer."

"Both."

"I don't think so."

"You're still dating Stacy."

"Give me one reason."

That stopped her. Her mouth hung open, her eyes darted to the floor and then back to him. "What are you saying?"

"Give me one reason why I shouldn't be with her."

"You'd dump her that easily? Just like that? Because I say that I might consider dating you again?"

"For you… yes."

She shook her head. She looked away; she needed to to keep him from seeing the conflict in her eyes. She would be lying if she said that she didn't still want him. She would be lying if she said that she wasn't jealous of Stacy. She would be lying, however, if she thought things would go any better than before. "I can't. I can't be the cause of ruining four years of you being together."

"It's not going anywhere."

"You… you've been with her for four years and you don't think it's going anywhere?" His chin dropped and his gaze fell to the floor. "You've known that from the start. Why the hell are you still with her then? Why are you leading her on like that?"

He could only sigh at first. He wanted to hit himself for ever asking it; he wanted to yell at himself being so tempted that he could ruin whatever shattered piece of their relationship was still left. But he had to say it. "Because… Because I looked everywhere for you… Not you, but…"

"Someone like me?"

He shrugged, "Something like that… I can't… I…"

"You can't loose me all over again. That's sad, Greg, even for you."

/-/- **Later That Day **

She hadn't kicked him out of her office, but he knew that tone. That finality. That commanding, abrupt tone that had ended most every argument they had ever had.

She had walked around her desk, sank into the chair, and started shuffling papers around. She didn't look up at him to tell him to leave; he had simply taken the hint and turned and left. She didn't look up at him, but he knew that, if she had, he would have seen the disorientation. He knew that she had no idea what those paper's on her desk meant or even what she was supposed to be doing with them.

He had left and retreated to his office, the only place he could go to find relative quiet. Dumb and dumber were in the other room; he wasn't sure that they were doing but it wasn't bothering him and so he couldn't care less what it was.

House sighed as he shifted his weight, finding a comfortable position on his couch.

He wasn't sure why he had done it. He had told himself that he would never ask her. He had told himself that he would leave her alone, that he would let things between him and Stacy do what they were going to do and that he would let things between him and Lisa rest in whatever dark room they had been shoved into all those years ago. But, no! He couldn't keep his mouth shut.

House rubbed at his eyes, stifling a yawn as he shifted again. He needed to talk to someone about getting a more comfortable couch.

She hid it well, but he could tell that there was still something there- some sliver of something saved just for him. And he intended on pulling it out. He just had no idea how.

His arm reached lazily on the ground, groping around for a moment before his fingers grasped the itchy material. With a huff of triumph, he picked up the pillow and lifted his neck, adjusting it beneath his head.

He was dating Stacy. Obvious problem if he was going to get Lisa back. House couldn't say that he was in love with her- oh, he loved her, in an intimate friend sort of way, but he knew that he wasn't in love with her. He knew that she wasn't the person he saw in his future ten, thirty, fifty years down the road. But, at the same time, she was the only replacement he had for the person he wanted in that future.

House groaned as he punched the pillow, trying to adjust it. He shifted his head, scowling at the itchy feeling against his neck. He also needed to speak to someone about getting him better pillows. Softer and less itchy pillows.

He could dump Stacy. It would be hard; it would be tearful; it would hurt both of them; and he had no idea what he would say to her, but he could do it. The problem was, of course, the unknown variable: Lisa Cuddy. Even without Stacy in the way, he wasn't sure that she would ever be with him again. He couldn't handle loosing both of them.

House punched the pillow again, groaning as he sat up, finally giving up.

/-/-

Hmm... can't decide if I feel worse for Stacy, House, or Lisa. So what did you think?


	4. Chapter 4

_Author's Note:_ Okay, so this is the second part that I had in my head so I hope it makes sense here and I'm not just trying to shove it somewhere in the story.

Oh, and this one is definitely for the more mature audience. Just a warning.

/-/- **A Week Later **

He really couldn't say what brought him there. Maybe it was the conversation they had had a week ago. Maybe it was the way she had avoided him ever since. Maybe it was the lingering scent of her perform in his mind or the last image of her that had been burned into his mind that afternoon. Maybe it was simply inevitable that he would do it. Or maybe it was the last conversation with Stacy that had brought him there. He wasn't really sure.

And there he was, standing on her front porch, hand awkwardly poised to ring the bell, as a conversation played out in his head. Did he ring the bell? Did he invite himself in? What would he say to her once she opened the door? What excuse could he possibly have for being there? Would she let him in? What would she say to him?

Why was he there? He knew why. And she would know just as soon as he started talking.

And suddenly his finger was pressing into the doorbell before he could stop himself. He could hear her footsteps echoing through the wood halls and she opened the door before he had time to think or to turn around and run.

She just stared at him, her tired body leaning heavily against the door, waiting for him to explain himself. He could only open his mouth and hope that something intelligent came out.

"Stacy wants to get married."

Well, it was a sentence. And it made sense. But her reaction didn't encourage him. She sighed; her eyebrows rose; her tongue snaked out and wet her lips; her eyes rolled to the side before finding his again.

"And you said?"

"I said? About the marriage thing?" She nodded. "Nothing. I just… had to get out of there for a while."

"And you came here?" Her face crinkled and he recognized her huff of displeasure. "Your girlfriend just asked you about getting married and you went to your ex-girlfriend's house? That makes sense."

"Can I come in?" He didn't wait for an answer before slipping in past her. He could hear her huff somewhere behind him but he didn't care. He needed an answer and he had no idea how to ask his question.

"Do you want to marry her?"

The softness of her voice startled him. He turned to find her leaning against the living room sofa, her eyes focused on him. He studied her for a time. Her arms were crossed over her stomach, her sweat pants were falling just past her hips, her brows were creased, and her jaw was tense. He couldn't tell what she was thinking.

He looked away then, eyes flickering back to her as he tried to recall her question. Did he want to marry her? No. That had never been anywhere in the plan.

"I don't know."

"You don't know?"

"I don't know, Lisa!"

"No, House… you know. What are you doing here?"

He rubbed at his eyes, an almost tired action, as he stepped closer to her. "I don't know." He didn't stop his advance. "How would you feel if I got married to her?"

"That's not for me to say." He didn't hear her answer in her words. He saw it in her eyes. As she spoke, his hands rested on the sofa on either side of her hips. He didn't look away from her as she spoke and watched as she lied to him.

He lifted one hand to brush away a strand of hair from her eyes. His fingers followed the silky strands, playing with the curls as he looked at her. "Do you want me to get married to her?"

She had to close her eyes and he knew it was to keep him from seeing the conflict in her eyes. "You haven't done that in a while," she said absently and he shrugged.

"You haven't let me in a while." He sighed, "You don't want me to get married. You don't even want me with her. Just admit it."

"Greg… Whatever we once were, it's over. Move on."

House just shook his head. "You keep saying that, but I don't think you're following your own advice."

"Greg-"

"Lisa, I still love you."

"Greg, we can't do this."

He surprised himself when he did it. Suddenly he was leaning closer and his lips were on hers. She didn't pull away, not at first. It was short; an almost sweet, kind of shy kiss.

And then he was looking at her, trying to gauge whether or not it was worth it to risk leaning in and capturing her lips once again. But something in her eyes told him to stop.

"You want to. I know you do."

"That doesn't mean that we should. There is a difference, even if you don't see it."

"Just this once?"

"You can't handle once, Greg. I say yes tonight and you'll live with it for a while. But then you'll be back."

"Would that be so bad?"

"If, hypothetically, Stacy wasn't waiting at your apartment, worrying about where you are, then no, Greg, if wouldn't be that bad."

He shrugged, "Technicality… I'm not in love with her. I'm trying to be, but I'm not."

"I know you suck with relationships, but this isn't the way to go about starting a new one."

"You don't want a new relationship with me. I'm not asking for that right now."

"No…"

"Your lips say no, but your-"

"Don't finish that." He expected her to raise her arms then and push him away, but she didn't. He expected her to ask him to step away, but she didn't say anything further. He expected her to do a lot of things, but she didn't do any of them. She surprised him by stroking the back of his hand with her thumb. She wasn't looking at him anyway; he could see her resolve cracking. She wanted him just as much as he wanted her, she had already admitted that. She was battling her conscience.

He smirked, intending to help her out. He leaned closer, his nose grazing her neck. She inhaled sharply when his lips nipped at the tender skin.

"Greg."

"Hmm?"

"What are you doing?"

"What does it look like I'm doing?" He knew by the way she shivered that his breath against her tender skin had affected her. "Do you want me to stop?"

He felt his stomach drop then and the smirk faded from his lips when her hands slid up his chest, pushing him away just enough to let him catch her eyes. He saw it then. Her eyes were dark, her pupils dilated, her breathing growing deeper with every breath. He still had never found anything sexier.

He felt it then, a gentle tug against the back of his neck, beckoning him to move closer. Their lips met only for a brief moment before he pulled back. He opened his mouth to say something, but she stopped him. Her lips were back on his and he didn't dare stop her because he knew she would never start again once he did. Her tongue caressed his bottom lip and his eyes fluttered closed; it was all he had dreamt of for years.

"Bedroom?" he breathed and she inhaled sharply. For a moment he was sure that she had regained her senses; that she would push him away and kick him out. But the command never came and instead she was nodding breathlessly.

He stepped back, his hands coming to rest on her hips as he pulled her with him. They made it to the far wall before his lips were on hers- to stifle the awkwardness, to see if it was all a dream, but mostly just because he couldn't wait until he had managed to get all the way to her room. He just smirked against her lips when she moaned into his mouth. He sucked at her bottom lip; his fingers undid button after button. Her own hands were under his shirt, caressing his back. He raised his arms only after he had completed his task. He didn't move to take her shirt off just yet; instead his lips kissed the side of her mouth, then jaw, then trailed down her neck to her collar. His hands, at the same time, were barely touching skin. The tips of his fingers grazed her body, making her shiver against his touch. In one motion, he had unclasped her bra; in a second, his lips and hands met to remove it. Kisses peppered over her shoulder until her blouse had fallen completely from her body.

She could feel his hot breath on her newly-exposed skin. It felt good, it felt right, and yet she knew better. She knew that they were leaping over an invisible line that should never be crossed.

He lowered his head and his tongue snaked out to run a damp circle around one nipple. She moaned, her body arching into his touch. Somehow her hands had made their way into his hair, holding tight to the silky strands laced through her fingers. His teeth nipped lightly at her nipple. She closed her eyes to drink in the sensation, moaning softly.

His lips moved away from her breasts, his tongue taunting the skin over her clavicle, nipping and biting as he moved up to her neck and jaw. She arched into him, hating herself for enjoying it so much.

He lowered his head then, kissing her again, his tongue lunging possessively against hers. Her hands absently stroked at whatever bare skin they could find. And suddenly she couldn't wait any longer; her arms wrapped around his shoulders. House got the hint; he grabbed her ass and lifted her up; she wrapped both legs around his hips. His lips found her neck again, suckling and nipping his way back down to her shoulder.

He pulled her a little higher and leaned in closer, pushing more of her weight against the wall and using his abdominal muscles more to hold her up. His fingers fumbled with his belt and he swore at himself for not thinking to remove more clothes before they found themselves in that position. He felt her chuckling against his neck as she peppered kisses over his burning skin. He could feel her arousal through the material of her panties pressing against his stomach; it only made him need her more.

He fumbled with his fly, still cursing himself for not thinking ahead. A flurry of warm breath tickled his neck and he felt her hands whack his away. He didn't complain as his hands found their way to stroke her smooth stomach.

He groaned as he realized that she was still wearing her underwear. His hands were under her skirt, reaching towards the waistband of her panties and testing the material. Silk. He gave one good yank and they tore, fluttering forgotten to the floor. She didn't seem to mind his impatience.

He slid her down gently, until he was poised at her entrance. She let out a breathy moan; her legs tightened around him, urging him closer. He gripped her tighter; his lips found her ear. "You ready?" He felt her nod into his shoulder.

He pushed into her, slowly at first. And oh God was she tight and hot. He paused, just for a moment, once he was fully inside of her. If he closed his eyes, he could imagine that they were somewhere else, sometime else. But he didn't; he wanted it to be a memory of then and not some vague memory of the past.

He started to thrust into her, and with every thrust he pulled her body forward to meet him, crashing them against each other over and over again. His arms were growing tired but he didn't stop. Cuddy wrapped her arms around his neck, moving some of her weight onto his shoulders. Then she started moving against him, bringing herself hard down on him. He gasped at the sensation. His one hand moved to brace himself against the wall. Her gasps filled his ear, urging him on.

She kept moving, her motions growing faster and more urgent. And suddenly her screams were filling his ears and her nails were digging into his shoulders, and all he could feel was her muscles spasming around him. He let go, crying into her ear as he came.

He didn't know how long, but for a while he just held her there, not trusting his legs to move. He just let his forehead rest against the wall as he listened to her breathe, the sound raged and uneven, slowly calming back down.

/-/-

Hmm... curious new development...

Honestly, that was my first sex scene that I've ever posted, I think. So I hope I did all right...


	5. Chapter 5

_Author's Note: _Well, here's the morning after scene. After this… I really don't have much clue what to do. So hopefully I see some suggestions in those reviews. I could certainly use the help.

Enjoy!

/-/- **The Next Morning **

She had always woken up before him. She used to love that fact. She would just lie there, stroking his chest lazily and watching him sleep.

And that morning was no different. It was a little past six when the sun started to creep into her room. Her fingers played with his chest hair, her eyes lingered over his face. She had always loved the way he seemed so much more relaxed, so much more at peace when he was asleep.

She used to wish that she could pause time, for just a little while, and stay like that. Stay in a place where he didn't feel compelled to put on an act for her or for anyone else. Right then, she wished she could stay in a place where she didn't have to think about what they had just done. A place where she could pretend that it was seven years ago and they were still together and the possibilities were still endless.

It was when the first rays hit his eyes that he began to stir. She nuzzled her nose into his chest, using it to muffle her sigh. His arm tightened instinctively. She waited a moment, knowing that his eyes would slowly blink open any moment and he would orient himself and then his arm would loosen and his thumb would start to rub circles over her hip and his nose would nuzzle into her hair and he would breath a muffled good morning.

She smiled to herself when she felt the pressure lessen, but only slightly. His thumb was already stroking the ticklish part of her hip and his nose was buried in her dark curls. "Good morning."

"Morning," she sighed into his chest. She knew that she ought to tell him that they needed to talk; she knew that she needed to be the mature one and make sure he understood that last night had been a lapse in judgment and that it would never happen again. But she didn't want to.

"So…"

"So…" she repeated and shifted away to look up at him.

"You're about to tell me that this never happened or something aren't you?"

"I was about to tell you that it's never going to happen again."

"Right."

His eyes had already hardened back into the thickly veiled orbs that she remembered. They could pierce anyone's soul but they were so guarded, hiding the true him. She remembered when there was a time that she could see past that.

"Can we pretend, for a just a little longer?"

She closed her eyes and sighed into his chest again. Oh, how tempting an offer. What she wouldn't give to pretend that they were back seven years earlier, waking up in his flat. What she wouldn't give to pretend that they were about to start their morning ritual of House trying to get her in the shower with him and Cuddy trying to get him to make her breakfast in bed. What she wouldn't give to have House walk into the kitchen, towel around his waist as he wrapped still damp arms around her, as she made breakfast for the two of them.

"You should leave, Greg. Call Stacy, tell her you're all right."

"She's not worried- she thinks I'm at James' house."

"Oh… You should still probably be going."

"Lisa…"

"Greg, this was stupid. It was-" she sighed because it wasn't a mistake, she couldn't make herself believe that anything that happened between them was, but that didn't make it better.

"It was what? Amazing. Perfect. Hot. Come on, Lisa, I know you wanted it, you missed it. You've missed me."

"Yes, Greg, but you're missing the point."

"Yes, Stacy, I got it."

"Oh yeah… because you're so good at that concept."

"Hey-"

She pulled away from him, her hands pushing against his chest even as his arm desperately tried to hold her to him. "Don't 'hey' me."

"Look, I already apologized a million times for that."

"Yeah, seven years ago." She sighed, "And I fixed that problem."

"Oh yeah, really well. Just look how well that worked out."

"Fuck off." She rolled away from House, dragging the quilt with her and wrapping it around her as she walked away. She paused on her way towards her bathroom and turned to him, "I want you out of here when I'm finished with my shower."

/-/-

House rubbed at his face as he stepped out of exam room three. It was three in the afternoon and already he had treated a clinic full of people. Cuddy might not agree seeing as he had only graced her hospital three hours before. He was supposed to be there at eight, but usually nine worked just fine for him. A little later if he stopped for breakfast. But eleven was when his clinic duty started. He felt that, that morning, called for just a little more procrastinating than normal.

He slid into the hospital silently, logging in with the duty nurse and hiding in an exam room before she noticed. He was surprised that she hadn't gone looking for him earlier. But then, he figured, she probably didn't want to see him.

House glanced down at the file in hand as he closed the door behind him. Yeah, it was pretty much filled in. He looked up, taking his first step towards the nurse's station.

But she was there.

He swallowed and looked down. He couldn't go over there, not until she left. He pulled out his pen, he could always fill in those last few empty lines.

He glanced up again. Oh, life could certainly get awkward if they figure this whole thing out.

"Is everything all right, doctor?"

House looked up, mind blank as he tried to come up with a reason why this woman was talking to him. He glanced down at the chart before him. Anna Glys. Right, patient. "Um… yes. Just… making sure I wrote everything down. Hate to get something wrong."

"Oh."

He was pretty sure that she was still talking- probably thanking him or something- but he wasn't paying attention any longer. She was looking at him. He had chanced a glance over at her only to find her eyes straying over the tops of the folder in her hands. He wanted to smirk at her, but something in her look erased any notion of it.

"Are you all right, Doctor?"

"Hmm?" He only half pulled his attention off of Cuddy to look over at his patient that was still, apparently, standing there and talking to her.

"You seem distracted."

"Um… yeah, sorry. Um, did you say something?"

"I just wanted to thank-you."

"Well… don't. I'm forced to be here." He didn't stay there long enough to see the woman's shocked look, his feet had already turned and started heading towards the nurse's station. "Three o'clock. Dr. House is signing out."

"You still have an hour, House." He drew in a slow breath. She sounded normal- the same commanding tone that she had been using with him for the past two months that he had worked under her. There was no sign in her bored tone that anything had transgressed between them. No sign that she was pissed at him. No sign that she was uncomfortable speaking with him.

"No I don't," he quipped, turning to look at her. It might not have been in her voice, but it was there in her eyes. The fear, the anger, the uncertainty, the unease she had standing there. "Three o'clock is when I'm released from this bondage."

"Yes, had you gotten here on time. Walking into work at noon doesn't complete the four hours of clinic you were supposed to do."

"Ah… With those math skills, it's no wonder you got this job."

She just rolled her eyes at him, choosing not to respond. "You're here for another hour, or you'll be here for two tomorrow. Your choice."

"You drive a tough bargain. I'll bring my gameboy in tomorrow."

He walked away. He'd do the hour in a couple of minutes. He'd come back from a quick trip to his office when she wouldn't know and he'd do it, only because it would make her feel better. But it was the control. With her staring him down, he could never relent. He needed to show her who was in control.

He sighed as he stepped into the elevator, his eyes finding her still standing there. Who was he kidding? Neither of them was in control.

/-/-

She had debated a long time whether she would even go up and see him. She was the Dean of Medicine after all. She had people who had people who could give him the file. She could simply call him and command him to take the case. She had ways of avoiding him.

But, then again, she only had ways of avoiding him as long as he wanted to be avoided. He would come to her before long- either to harass her for some insane treatment or to harass her just because he was bored.

She sighed. Hiding just out of House's vision wasn't going to save her from having to see him. It was inevitable that they would meet up again.

She was being stupid. Silly in the extreme. And yet she had hardly survived their first encounter without some sort of emotional display, she wasn't sure she was ready for their second one.

She pulled at the door much harder than necessary, surprising herself when the door nearly hit her. He looked up at her, his face shifting almost instantly from one of boredom to uncertainty. And suddenly she was torn between finding him relaxing with his feet propped up on his desk, his chair reclining back, and his keyboard in his lap somewhat cute and finding the lust pulling at the edges of his lips and the desire just barely hidden from view in his bright orbs equally as tempting as it was infuriating.

"I have a case for you." He answered her simply by titling his head to the side and arching his eyebrow in question. She sighed, holding the file out to the air to draw his attention to it. "White male, thirty-three-"

"Already boring," he commented as his feet hit the ground and his keyboard was tossed onto his desk. She looked at him, arms crossing over her chest, as she watched him rise to his feet.

"You haven't heard his symptoms."

"It's easier to look at them," he plucked the file from her hand, his eyes never leaving hers as he did.

"Knock yourself out."

He flicked open the file, his eyes glancing away from hers only long enough to take in the scribbled notes. "Boring."

"Too bad. It's already your case."

On some level, she was surprised when all he did was sigh and toss the file onto his desk. On another, she was too glad to care that she wasn't going to be forced into an argument with him- she couldn't take that right then.

"I…" she looked at him, startled when he spoke. His eyes were on the ground; his hand was rubbing the back of his neck. He sighed as he looked back up at her. "I am sorry about last night. That was stupid of me…" his eyes strayed away from hers as his voice trailed off. He sighed again, wishing somehow that saying the words were easier. He looked back at her, "But I don't regret it."

Something in her eyes forced him not to look away. There was a fire in there, an accusation that she couldn't quite bring herself to say. "Yeah, well you should."

"Well, I don't."

"You never do, do you?"

"God, you know!" His eyes snapped shut and he forced in a deep breath, trying to calm the raging fires in him. Trying to stop himself before he said anything he'd regret. Trying to stop himself before he yelled so loud that the entire hospital would hear. When his eyes snapped open again, she was still standing there, arms crossed over her chest, eyes still ablaze. "You're never going to let that go. I was being stupid, I made a mistake, and I apologized profusely for that."

"Yeah," her head bobbed up and down, but it wasn't a positive gesture. Instead, it felt more like an accusation. "And you obviously didn't learn your lesson. Are you going to go home tonight and apologize profusely to Stacy?"

He could feel the muscle in his jaw clench, his face and body tensing at the thought. He wondered if she could see how his stare had grown cold. "I wasn't planning on telling her."

"Yeah… Maybe you should take a look at your past and think that one over."

He just shook his head at her, eyes rolling off to the side as he tried to ignore the hurt that was starting to grip his chest. But he fought it back, forcing a smirk to his face to hide the storm of emotions that was quickly erupting inside him. "What?" he hissed as his feet instinctually took a step closer to her, "Are you gonna drop by my place in a few days and let Stacy find us there?"

He felt it long before he was able to comprehend what she had done. It wasn't until he could see her hand slowly returning to her side that he connected the stinging sensation in his face to her moving hand. A shocked hand rose to cup his stinging face; shocked eyes rose to find hers. She seemed too angry too notice how equally shocked she was. And just as suddenly as she had slapped him, she turned on her heels and retreated.

He stood there, too stunned to watch as she left or track her movement down the hall. He just stood there, holding his face and cursing himself for ever mentioning last night or seven years ago.

When he finally did move it was to slowly ease his hand away. By then, he was smirking. Smirking not because he had pissed her off, not because his face was in pain, but because Lisa had hit him. Because it still bothered her, because she still had some emotional stake in whatever their relationship was. Because she had never gotten over him.

/-/-

Hope you enjoyed! And I hope to see a couple of suggestions… anything you want to see. You never know, it might happen. Thanks!

Oh, and just to keep you updated, I went back and switched around the time frame so it's all in order now.   



	6. Chapter 6

_Author's Note:_ Sorry about the extremely long wait. I've been swamped with AP exams and all that fun stuff and haven't really had a lot of time to sit down and write. But, since I got to skip the end of school today, I took the time to rest, relax, and write a bit. So, here it is. I can't make any promises, but I hope that I'll have more time to get the next chapter up before too long. (Hopefully not as long as before)

Oh, and in case you've forgotten: House and Cuddy slept together and now are awkwardly avoiding each other. Yep, that about summarizes it.

Enjoy!

/-/-

/-/- **A Couple of Days Later **

Lisa's thumb rubbed gently over the bottom of the apple as her eyes searched the soft skin for any bruises. She twisted her wrist, her eyes scanning each side for injury. Indifferently she placed the final apple in with the rest and spun the bag carefully before tying it off.

Her mind drifted back to an empty refrigerator as she looked over the rest of her choices. Oranges, definitely. Grapes, she might as well get both green and purple. Pears, she hadn't had them in a while.

Her eyes drifted away from the fruit as she thought, mulling over her choices as she tried to narrow it down to what she would eat before it all spoiled on her. That was when she noticed him. He was standing, his face contorted into a scowl, as he plucked a few peaches from the shelf and added them to his bag. She looked away, forcing her attention to remain intently dedicating to picking out fruit.

But she couldn't help the temptation to glance back over at him. And looking at him only intensified the mixed desire that she had been feeling for nearly a week now. To run away and hide from him and pray in whatever sanctuary she found that he wouldn't find her. Or to walk over to him and confront him and to act as if nothing had occurred that would ever threaten their forever flirtatious banter.

But, like it had for the past few days, the temptation to run over took the other and she set her apples on the top rack of the cart and prepared to leave, the rest of her fruit forgotten. But, like he had several times before, he decided for her- and against that impulse.

"Not sure what you people like so much about fruit. Some chips or a candy bar work just as well too."

No matter how much she told herself she shouldn't, she smirked at his comment and looked over at him. "Nutritional value aside, they just taste much better than your artificially proceeded foods." He just shrugged as he glared over at the oranges. She reached over and tore off another bag, handed it to him and then tore another off for her. He took it awkwardly and she just ignored the way their hands nearly touched and the way he stood plopping oranges into his bag and she casually examined a couple of pears.

"You're going to bruise them, you know?"

"They have rough outer skins. I think they're fine."

"It's a good habit to have. I'm sure you're not any more careful when dealing with apples." He just shrugged, but she could feel the way he was suddenly watching her laying her pears carefully on top of each other and she noticed that he had in fact slowed his movements to only match hers just slightly.

"Got enough fruit yet?"

"I've got the same amount as you do."

"But somehow I have the feeling that you're not done yet and I am."

She just shrugged, smiling up at him. Somehow it didn't feel weird that they had fallen so quickly back into old patterns after a week of her avoiding him. After all, seven years had elapsed before and he had a girlfriend and yet nothing had seemed to change.

Her movements suddenly stilled and, from the corner of her eye, she knew that he had noticed the action. "So where's Stacy? Or did she send you all by yourself?"

He stiffened, matching her own sudden unease. "Oh, she's around here somewhere."

"Greg? How difficult is it to get some fruit. Oh, Lisa, hey, fancy meeting you here."

She smiled awkwardly, her eyes glancing just briefly to Greg before finding Stacy again. But Stacy had already turned to Greg by the time she looked over at her and Lisa looked away, studying a peach with far too much intensity. She had to to keep her mind off the jealousy that was bubbling just over the surface. To push away the thoughts of how unfair it was that Stacy got to spend a normal afternoon with Greg. To keep from coming back to the guilt that had been constantly plaguing her. To keep from coming back to the inevitable argument she would hold in her head. She had given him up a long time ago and if anyone had any right to feel jealous, that was Stacy. But that only made her feel worse because Stacy had no idea that she should be upset. She had no idea that this person she was trying to be friends with was slowly stabbing her in the back.

"Hmm?" Lisa pulled her eyes from the peach in hand. Stacy was looking at her, a small smile playing on her lips.

"I was just making sure that we're still on for Saturday."

"Oh, yeah. Definitely." Stacy's smile grew, her eyes shinning as she nodded. From the corner of her eye, Lisa could see House looking between the two of them, bemused. Her eyes shifted to look over at him; he was shooting her a knowing look. She didn't want to go, she didn't want to experience the jealousy and the awkwardness and the guilt. But Lisa just looked away- she needed to ignore him if she was going to survive her Saturday with Stacy.

"Well I'll see you later," she smiled at Stacy. She couldn't stay there anymore. It was almost suffocating, standing there, looking at her, ignoring him, knowing something that she didn't know and battling with her conscience about that fact that she didn't want Stacy to ever know. Her eyes turned away, forgetting about Stacy for a moment. "And I'll see you bright and early tomorrow morning."

Greg smirked up at her, "Probably not, but you can keep dreaming."

Lisa tried not to watch as Stacy teasingly punched him. "I'll never know how you manage to keep a job."

"Oh," she tried to smirk, keeping her eyes alternating between both Greg and Stacy, never long enough to feel the tinge of guilt settle over her. "I just make him do more of the things he hates."

"See, I wasn't lying when I said that she was a slave driver." Stacy punched him again. She forced herself not to flinch away. But her eyes eventually shifted away and silently she smiled and nodded her goodbyes to them. Stacy called a quick goodbye after her; Greg just nodded in her direction.

She sighed when she was far enough away, allowing herself the peace to close her eyes. Greg wouldn't be the end of her- she could handle the way he made her feel, she could handle the awkwardness that would eventually subside, she could resist him now that she knew the problems it caused. It was Stacy that would kill her- the guilt, the jealousy, the mixture of hypocritical emotions that she brought out. That was what was hard to deal with.

/-/- **Saturday **

It figured that Stacy would unknowingly choose the one movie that would play on her guilt. The actors were good, the guy was hot, the plot was believable, but she couldn't help but squirm in her seat as she watched the leading lady battle her consciousness, while staying loyal to her husband and pushing away her old love. She couldn't help but glance constantly over at Stacy, wondering if she knew, wondering if their outing had been a plan to test her, to taunt and torment her into confessing. But Stacy's focus was innocently centred on the movie, her mind enjoying being immersed in the story.

"Would you have done him?"

"What?" Lisa started, her heart suddenly pounding in her ears as she looked up at Stacy, not quite sure what to make of the question.

But Stacy just shrugged and leaned back a little in the metal café chair, her fingers absently stirring the coffee stirrer. "If you were Karen in the movie, would you have slept with the ex?"

"I, um, I don't know."

"Oh, come on. He was hot. You so would."

Lisa shrugged awkwardly at the comment, swallowing down her guilt as she glanced away, taking the time out of Stacy's gaze to place a large smirk on her face before looking back at her. "Yeah, I would have." She took a moment, sighing in air as she tried to convince herself to say what had just formed in her mind. "What do you think… what's your opinion on that?"

"What? You mean having an affair?" Lisa shrugged in the positive and Stacy shrugged mockingly back. "Personally, I don't agree with cheating if you're engaged or married. I mean, if you have the courage to go through with that kind of commitment, it's not fair to wreak it. But, before then," she just shrugged half-heartedly, letting her words trail off into the gesture.

Then suddenly she looked over at Lisa, concern transforming her face. "Don't think that that means I've cheated on Greg, or anything."

"No, I didn't think that," she kept her eyes down at her hands, trying her best to keep her guilt hidden from Stacy. "I was just curious."

"What about you?"

She kept her eyes trained down, watching the way her hands rocked the coffee cup. "I've… I don't know. I think there's a difference between physical and emotional intimacy. Physical isn't as important, but you can't be emotionally intimate with two people."

Stacy nodded slowly, her eyes focused solely on the dark swirls in her coffee cup. Lisa glanced at her, watching her for a moment as she stirred the stirrer again, but quickly her eyes darted away, returning to her own dark liquid. She just watched it for a few moments, absorbed in the way the surface ripped and contorted against the pressures of her stirring stick. Somehow the front part of her mind silenced itself long enough to be intrigued by her hands and the coffee, and yet the back of her mind was already contorting the conversation into a tool. She glanced over at Stacy, the woman mildly interested in their surroundings. Lisa took a deep breath.

"So if you met the perfect man-"

"You mean tall, dark, and handsome with an amazing sense of humour?"

"Exactly. Would you sleep with him?"

"Definitely."

"What about Greg?"

Stacy paused for a long moment, looking at her for a long time before looking away again. Finally she just shrugged. "If it's only physical."

"But what if you fell in love with him?"

"I think that you can only love one person at a time. And you should be with that person."

"So, if hypothetically you fell in love with this man, you would leave Greg?"

Stacy shrugged. "I don't know. It wouldn't be fair to Greg if I stayed with him. It wouldn't be fair to me or this new guy, either. But it wouldn't be an easy choice."

Lisa couldn't look at Stacy as she spoke. Her eyes focused on a chipped piece of white paint, as if it would hide the emotions bubbling to the surface. She wasn't sure what they all were- confusion mixed with jealousy, guilt mixed with a bit of stubborn defiance, anger mixed with a little but of hurt. But mostly guilt. And a lot of anger.

It hadn't been one sided and she certainly hadn't been forced. She had wanted Greg just as much as he had wanted her and she had acted on that. She had known what she was doing, she just hadn't thought it through very well. It was partly her fault, she knew that, and she was sorry but at the same time she couldn't bring herself to apologize or own up to what she had done. It almost didn't feel wrong.

But then here was Stacy saying that it would be her hardest choice to choose between which of the two she would want to be with. And there was Greg, ready to dump Stacy with a few choice words from her, without hesitation, without guilt or concern. And she was pissed as hell at him for that. He could at least pretend to give a damn.

The guilt more than the anger kept her eyes lowered and watching as her fingers played with the stirrer in her coffee. But it was the anger that made her slap it against the sides of the cup with more force than necessary.

"Well, how about you?"

Her head shot up, her eyes refocusing Stacy's face into view. Her brows creased and her eyes glanced to the side as she tried to understand the question. "How about me what?"

"Would you cheat on your boyfriend?"

"I don't have one," she said dully, not sure how else to respond.

Stacy just rolled her eyes. "Okay then," she drawled, "Would you sleep with Greg?"

Her cup was just leaving her lips as Stacy's words left hers. Lisa swallowed hard, the coffee scolding her tongue just as it threatened to come back out her mouth and nose. She coughed awkwardly, blinking back tears.

Stacy could only laugh at the spectacle as Lisa looked up at her, her eyes wide and her mouth slightly agape. "Hypothetically, would you rekindle that old flame even with me around?" The guilt drove her eyes away and she was sure that Stacy's keen eyes would pick it out of her wide eyes and her tight jaw. She was sure that she could see how her heart had sped up and the way her chest rose and fell unsteadily. She didn't know what to say that wouldn't incriminate her. "That's a yes. You're just too afraid to say it."

Fear flashed in her eyes as she looked up at Stacy, but she hid it quickly. She was sure however that Stacy had since it, but she hoped that she would merely think that it was concern over misinterpreting her interpretation. She didn't want her to think that she had considered sleeping with Greg- despite that fact that she already had.

"Well… I don't know. I, um… That was a long time ago."

"Don't freak out. I asked the question." Stacy just shrugged, dismissing the question almost entirely. "Speaking of being with Greg, you never did tell me the story there?"

"There isn't much of a story."

Stacy leaned back once again into the metal chair, her hands both wrapping around the coffee cup. She peered over the rim, her eyes glowing with excitement as a shrewd smirk grew tugged at her lips. "There is always a story."

/-/-

Sorry, this was kind of a slow chapter, but I thought I should get something up here before you all think I'm dead or something. Even though, I thought it was kind of fun to play with poor Lisa by putting her with Stacy for a bit. Hope you enjoyed!

Hugs, JD


	7. Chapter 7

_Author's Note: _Hey all! Wow, I actually finished a chapter in less than two weeks! Amazing what happens when you actually get the entire weekend off to do nothing.

Anyhow, hope you enjoy!

/-/- **Same-ish Time Period **

"Can I ask you something?"

Wilson could only look up as he heard House's tray clatter down on his table- the table he had picked because it was empty. Wilson just resisted sighing as House lowered down into the chair across from him, tossing a French fry into his mouth as he looked up, as if waiting for Wilson to respond. "Um… sure? What about?"

"Okay…" he swallowed down the fries he had practically inhaled. Wilson just looked up at him, his sandwich halfway between his plate and his mouth. "So, hypothetically, you're in a relationship, but then you start to work for a woman with whom you used to have a relationship and you realize that you want her back. But she says no. What would you do?"

Wilson blinked. "Why the hell are you asking me this?"

House shrugged in response. "Because you're a nice guy, I consider you something of a friend, you're eating alone and well mostly because I happen to know that you're having an affair yourself." Had something been in his mouth, he certainly would have just nearly choked on it. But, as it was, all he had was air to choke down as his surprise snapped his eyes up to meet House's. "I just thought I'd ask someone with experience in these matters."

"What would give you that impression?"

"That you're a nice guy? I don't know. It was the boyish charm that really convinced me."

"I meant about the affair," he hissed, neck twisting to give him a good view of the cafeteria.

"I just guessed, but you've pretty much confirmed it right there for me." He looked back at House, the man's eyes shinning with some arrogant joy in being right. Wilson just straightened back in his seat and tossed his sandwich back onto his plate. "Unless she works here, I think you're all right."

"What do you want?"

"Don't tell me that I have to repeat the whole hypothetical to you?"

"No, I remember that much."

"Okay." He sat that, squirming in his seat, trying to pretend that House hadn't so easily seen right through him- again. But House was just sitting there, chewing thoughtfully on his food as he waited. "Well?"

"I… I don't know." House's head tilted to the side, hand moving to bring his sandwich to his mouth as he tore off another large bite. Wilson sighed. "Um… Well, if she doesn't want you, I think it's a pretty pointless question."

"Okay, let me rephrase. She wants me, she just won't admit it. And she really doesn't want me to cheat on my girlfriend."

"Then get rid of the girlfriend."

"Wow… I already recommended that to her but she won't go for it."

"The girlfriend or the other one?"

"The other one."

"Oh, okay… Why?"

"Because she doesn't want me to break up with her and she doesn't want me to date her."

"Wait- which one doesn't want you to do what with which one?"

"Okay, let's give them names."

"Yes, let's."

"We'll call my girlfriend Stephanie. And we'll call my ex… Lila."

"Lila?"

House shrugged, "It's a name. Okay, so, Lila doesn't want me to break up with Steph and she likes me and she wants me, but she doesn't want to date me."

"Okay… then I'll go back to my original assessment- you're screwed."

"That's not helpful."

"Why the hell are you asking me this again?"

"I don't have a clue."

"Okay, just checking."

House looked down at his already empty plate. "I should probably go now."

"That would be a good idea."

"Thanks."

"Yeah."

"Oh hey…" Awkwardly, he stood up, his hands gripping the back of the chair as he looked down at Wilson. "Hypothetically-"

"Oh god-"

"If she had it somewhere in her head that she would date me-"

"Lila?"

"Yeah… then what would you suggest?"

"Um… Ask her out?"

"Right…"

"Hey, if you're so unhappy with Stephanie, why don't you just break up with her regardless of what's going on with Lila?"

"Um… Long story."

Wilson rolled his eyes, "And the rest of it wasn't?"

House just shrugged, his eyes turning to look over at the door. Wilson's gaze followed his but it wasn't enough to keep him from seeing as House's fingers snatched a couple of his fries.

"Hey!" he yelled and tries to smack House's hand away, but House just smirked and stuffed the fries into his mouth, walking away. Wilson sighed. Of course House had also left his tray for him to deal with.

/-/- **That Same Day**

Her eyes skimmed over the words, but none of them proceeded in her mind. Each letter blurred into the next. Each sentence made less and less sense as she read on. She gave up, in the end, and just let her hand draw the flowing script of her signature. Closing the file, she let her eyes stray forward and out her windows, peering into the main lobby.

And there he was. Tall and confident. She could tell by the way Brenda rolled her eyes and House tried to use his smile to win her over, that he was carefully trying to get out of something. Whether it was a patient that he had deemed unworthy or clinic duty all together, she couldn't tell. But she made herself focus back on the mounds of paperwork she had promised herself that she would finish.

She missed him. She could admit it- to herself, anyway. Before, she might have run after him, yelling about skipped clinic duty, unnecessary procedures, and his behaviour towards staff and patients alike. But not recently. For weeks, she had pretended not to care just to keep from battling with him. Because arguing with Gregory House, for her, was just as exciting as flirting with him.

He had even stopped coming to her, like he had before, to pester her with irrelevant complaints and begging for permission to do insane tests. He had calmed down some. She hadn't decided if that was a good thing or not.

Her eyes couldn't help but stray away from her paperwork. And then she was looking at him again. His gaze had shifted; he was looking through the windows to her office to look over at her. He seemed relaxed, his hip was leaning against the nurses' desk, his elbow was on the desk and his cheek was resting in his palm. But, what she noticed most, was how his eyes seemed glazed and something was on his mind. But then, without warning, he was smirking at her. He had caught her looking and suddenly she couldn't look away. His eyes were too enticing and his smirk was too seductive. She hated him for having that kind of power over her.

And then, just as suddenly as the smirk had come over his features, he looked away and was pushing him body off the desk. She forced herself to look away. Forced herself to focus on the paperwork before her. But she couldn't concentrate on it; she couldn't read it. She knew that he was coming closer. She could almost feel the way he was sauntering across the sort expanse of title between the nurses' desk and her own. She was tempted to look back up at him. To lean back in her chair and smile, beckon him inside. But guilt won yet again and forced her eyes to remain down, forced her to wrestle down the desire to see him. She wanted him- she could feel that in every fiber of her body- but, in that same moment, she knew she couldn't have him.

She heard the door being pulled open. She heard him take a few steps inside. She heard the door as it creaked closed even as he continued forward. But she didn't look up at him.

"Can I do something for you?" She shuffled a set of papers together and then moved them aside as she reached for another set.

She couldn't help but notice the way he seemed to take his time forming the words in his mind. Or notice the way his weight shifted off to the one side. The way his hands stuffed themselves into his pockets. If she didn't know him better, she would say he was nervous.

"Do you want to go out with me, sometime?"

Her head rose slowly as the words punctured her groggy brain. It wasn't so much the bluntness that got to her, but the awkward tone in his voice. His nervous stance seemed to have followed into his words and even his eyes now that she was looking at them. His normally piercing eyes weren't focused on her, but rather on her chin. They were clouded and hesitant. Worried almost.

"What?"

"You. Me. Dinner… or a movie or… miniature golf?"

At the mention of the last words, she couldn't help the soft smile that formed. But she quickly squelched it. She didn't want to encourage him; she didn't want him to pick up on that weakness and play with it for whatever he could get. Slowly, remorsefully, she shook her head, her eyes falling to look first at her hands and then at his nose.

"Why not?" His words were hushed, pleading, even shy and she forced herself to find his eyes just to see if the same was written in them. He started moving closer, bringing the one side of his body up against her desk. He leaned over, bringing himself as near to her as physically possible without falling over.

All she could do was look up into his uncertain orbs because all she could think of to say was "yes" and somewhere in her mind she knew that wasn't the answer she wanted to say.

"Because," she started, and hoped, as she glanced away from him, that her voice wouldn't betray her, "I'm not going to date you while you're still with Stacy."

"Okay…" he sighed; his eyes fell to study the desk; his body straightened some, moving away from her. "Do you have a problem with going out somewhere with me as strictly friends?"

"Can you do 'strictly friends'?" There was a bite in her words that she hadn't intended for and all she wanted to do was to squeeze her eyes shut and sink into her chair, or, at least, apologize. But she did neither. She just looked up at him, trying to understand what was going on in his mind. Did he really just want to be friends again? Did he think that, if he played his cards right, something would happen again?

Slowly, he shook his head. "I… I just want to be around you again. I don't like this new hiding from each other concept."

And that was it. He hated avoiding each other, just as much as she did. He missed her, just as much as she missed him. And yet that almost didn't seem like enough.

Her eyes fell closed as her head began to shake. She dropped her chin to her chest and didn't open her eyes until she heard the familiar sounds of his feet moving across the carpeted floor. She stared down at her hands, listening for the door to open and waiting for him to move through it before she looked up. She almost hated herself for saying no to him. But she would have hated herself just as much for saying yes.

/-/-

Hope you liked this one. Please, drop a review. What did you like? What would you like to see next? I'm not picky.

Hugs, JD


	8. Chapter 8

_Author's Note: _Finally, the chapter that explains it all! Hope you guys all enjoy this one.

/-/-

/-/- **A Few Days Later**

If someone had walked up to her and asked her what she was doing there, she would have had her ready made lie flowing off the tip of her tongue. She would have simply said that she had been in the neighbourhood and that she had some sort of medical question to ask of him. But it was just that- a lie- and anyone, most certainly herself, could have spotted that in an instant. But it was a convenient excuse to explain the real reason.

She had very nearly broken down and cried the day she turned him away- again. It always seemed to be her who walked away. Back at college, she had left. When he had propositioned her for the first time, she had said no. When they shared one of the best nights of her life, she had been the one who got angry and told him to leave. And yet he was always there waiting for her, wanting her, begging her to come back.

It wasn't a simple matter of wanting him or needing him or even missing him in any physical sense of the word. It was more a mental thing- an addiction that she had once stopped unexpectedly and, when she had been allowed to taste it just one more time, craved with a sudden and uncontrollable desire. But, just as with an addiction, there was a certain guilt and a certain shame to not being able to control or stop it. And she couldn't help but feel like an ass for letting herself succumb to those old urges. And she couldn't help but feel the guilt rushing through her every time she looked at him, every time she thought about him, every time she relived that night and craved more.

But it wasn't just the sex she craved. It was him. He was her addiction. She had fallen in love with his smile, and his laugh, and his eyes, and his humour, and his wit, and his intelligence, and his company. Most of all, she just loved being with him.

That was what she missed. And at some point over the past few days, it had just clicked in her mind how stupid she had been to turn down his off of simple friendship. She could be around him without lusting after him and she was sure that he could do the same.

And that was why she was there, standing on the sidewalk, staring up at the single number adorning his apartment door. It had probably taken her a good ten minutes of sitting her car to work up the courage to walk across the street. And she was sure that she had been standing there for five minutes, just staring, wondering if he would notice her before long and save her the hassle of walking up the two stairs and knocking.

But he hadn't and finally the cold whipping of the wind had gotten to her and suddenly, without conscious thought, she was standing in front of his door, her knuckles knocking against the wood door.

She wouldn't say that he looked all together surprised when he opened the door and saw her standing there. But, then again, she wouldn't say that he wasn't. His brows seemed to rise just slightly and there was a cloud of confusion floating in his eyes, but there was no awkward twitch of his mouth. He didn't even ask why she was there. He simply let the moment of silence float between the two of them before Lisa finally asked, "Is Stacy here?"

"No. She's out of town for the weekend. Some work thing."

"Oh…" It wasn't the most intelligent reply but it was the first that came to mind. Of course she was relieved that Stacy wasn't there; it would only make this confrontation impossible. She couldn't ask the question she wanted- needed- answered if Stacy was there to hear the story. But, somehow, it made her feel like she had lost that one safety net she had left. Without Stacy around, there were no boundaries- at least not for that night- and having no boundaries was a dangerous thing when House was involved.

He shifted against the doorframe, moving away and exposing the hallway. "Do you want to come in?" Her slender eyebrow rose at the question. "Um… you're the one who wants to talk and it's cold out here."

Slowly, her head bobbed gently, but she hesitated, shifting her weight as if uncertain of whether or not she ought to enter. But then she shifted her weight forward and his arm rose unconsciously to let her step under it.

"You want a beer?" he asked over his shoulder. She just arched her brow at him again, this time with a soft scolding smirk playing on her lips. "Or water," he shrugged.

"Water, please."

She watched as he passed her for a moment before deciding to follow him. His strides were longer; she only passed through the doorway by the time he was using his elbow to push the refrigerator door closed. He didn't seem surprised to find her a few steps behind him and simply held out his hand. She stepped closer, taking the water bottle from him, and then stepping away. His back found the edge of the countertop as he snapped open his pop can. She glanced behind her and then did likewise, leaning against the counter on the opposite side of the room.

"So…"

"So…" she sighed back.

"There was something you wanted to discuss?"

"Um… yeah… Just… There's something I was thinking about the other day…" She wasn't looking at him, her eyes too focused on her hands awkwardly cradling the water bottle, but she knew that he was cocking his eyebrow at her, maybe titling his head to the side as his eyes studied her, trying to figure out what was running through her mind before even she had organized her thoughts. "Back in college… You apologized… Hell, you left about three thousand messages on my answering machine, but you never actually told me what happened."

"Because you never picked up the phone and asked."

She looked up at him. His eyes seemed bluer. His hands seemed shakier. His breathing seemed slower. She could tell that he was wondering where she was going just as much as she was. "True… So I'm asking now."

And then he sighed, the tides suddenly turned and his own mind whirling to a standstill as he tried to figure out what to say and how to say it. His gaze fell. She watched him watching his pop can. "You remember Alice, right?" he looked up at her, "Other than… that."

"Yeah," she shrugged, "She was your best friend's girlfriend."

"Yep," the tone was awkward, not quite sarcastic but not sincere either. "And she was always hitting on me."

"Oh yeah… almost forgot about that." The dryness of her tone was enough to get him to look up at her, a humourless chuckle escaping him. But then his eyes fell again and he was studying his hands instead of her, letting himself be lost in his memories and not her eyes.

"So that night-"

"Which night?"

"Of Rob's party." He glanced up at her, then back down, "I got drunk… Well, no actually I was plastered. I'm not sure how I got home- hell, I don't remember getting home. I don't really remember much about that night. But I remember waking up the next morning, and she was there. I didn't… I didn't decide that night at the party that I wanted someone to have a little fun with. And I certainly never at any point in my life said 'hey, Alice is pretty hot and she's willing, why the hell not fuck her?' I… I was drunk. And that's a bad excuse, but it's all I got."

"And all the times she called you?" She felt far more hesitant than her voice let on, but her own eyes were lost in the texture of her hands and the bumpy feel of the bottle cap against her palm. She didn't notice the way he looked up at her, brows drawn and face tighten. She simply could tell that he didn't remember what she was talking about. "I picked up the phone quite a few times and it was her after that night. And I know I saw a couple of messages written on napkins about how she had called you and wanted you to call her back."

He sighed. She looked up to see his cheeks puffed out as he nodded at the floor. She couldn't say she had seen Greg ever look awkward or unsure of himself- he was always right, he was always confident, he was always in control- but in that moment, with his brows drawn and his eyes staring down at his pop can and his breath unsteady and his shoulders hunched, she could tell how hard this moment was for him. He wanted so badly for her to believe him and forgive him for something so far in their past. "I forgot about that… She wanted to talk about that night. She and Rob were never very steady and they had an agreement about sleeping with other people. She wanted… to talk, to screw me again, I don't know. But I was ignoring her. I didn't want to talk about it; I wanted it to just end with that one awkward morning."

With every word he uttered, the more awkward she felt. The more she found her eyes fluttering back to her water bottle. The more she found herself slumping into the counter. The more she found herself feeling like an idiot. She had been young once, naïve and impressionable. She had forgiven and moved on, but she had never changed her opinion of him.

But his words had explained away all her suspicions but one. And slowly she forced herself to look back at him. He was watching her, hesitantly and from the corner of his eyes as his chin was still pointed towards his chest. She forced in a breath, "And the day I found you two?"

She could see the wince pulling at his eyes and nose long before she had finished her question. "Yeah, um…" his tongue snaked out to wet his lips and his eyes dropped to the floor for a moment, "She got annoyed that I was ignoring her," he scratched as his temple, his eyes flickering briefly to meet hers, "And she came over that day. I didn't know she was coming. We… we talked about things. About how," he sighed, his eyes falling shut and his hand falling dully to his side. "How I felt about you. I told her that there was nothing between her and me and that I didn't want to screw it up with you. I asked her not to bring that night up again. She seemed fine with it. I walked her to the door and she was on her way out when she kissed me." He looked up at her then, startling her with how bright his eyes suddenly seemed, "That was it- just the one kiss. I didn't know you were standing there. I wasn't trying to hide an affair from you."

"Well you did. A pathetic one night stand, but you still hid it from me."

"Yeah… I'm sorry." He looked away, his hand scrubbing through his hair, before he found her eyes again. "I screwed up. I know that. But I never thought that you would just completely walk out of my life like that. Not that quickly." She looked down then, his piercing eyes too much to take. Her fingers ran over the bottle cap, letting the scratchy sensation cover the shame she felt pooling into every pore in her body.

For a long time she couldn't bring herself to look up at him. It wasn't until he spoke again, until she heard the desperate need for an answer in his voice, that she met his eyes again. "Why did you?"

"Why did I what?"

"Leave like that. You didn't even try to talk to me."

She swallowed back the tears and the anger and the guilt and the humiliation and the shame and shook her head. "Because I was hurt, Greg. I heard this rumour about you and Alice going home together after Rob's party. And," she shrugged, her eyes finding the ceiling, "I didn't really care. I figured that you were drunk and she gave you a ride. But then I went over to your apartment and Alice was calling you and there were notes for days after that… And you seemed so distantly suddenly. And then I realized that you had seemed distant for weeks. I tried not to think about it that way, but that didn't mean that there weren't rumours going on. And people started connecting all sorts of other things- the way she always flirted with you, the way you never seemed uncomfortable with it, the fact that she and Rob had that agreement-"

"You knew about that?"

"Of course I knew about it- girls talk." He flashed her some sort of awkward smile- a cross between boyish and uncomfortable- and she shifted under his gaze, uncomfortable once again. And then she sighed and looked back up at him. "I trusted you, Greg, and so I tried my hardest to not insult you by confronting you."

"And then you saw…" His words trailed off and she nodded. "That would pretty much confirm it to most people, I guess."

"I'm sorry that I didn't talk to you."

He shrugged. "I wish that you would have."

And then, suddenly, it seemed like nothing more could have been said. It was all left in the past, a reminder of things done wrong. A reminder of why they couldn't work just as much as a reminder of why they worked so perfectly.

She nearly jumped at the buzzing noise that filled the room unexpectedly. She glanced over her shoulder, just barely able to see the door down the hall. Then her eyes turned to Greg, questioning him.

"Um… Pizza. You wanna stay and have some?"

"Is it some disgusting meat lover's something?"

And that was all they needed to break the awkwardness and tension. His face cracked and a chuckle escaped his chest. He nodded as he twisted around and set his pop can on the counter, already heading toward the door. "Yes, but you can peel it off."

She watched him as he disappeared and appeared from sight, watching him again as he pulled open the door and pulled his wallet from his back pocket. A few muttered words, some cash exchanged, and then he was walking past her again, pizza box carefully held level in front of him. She took a few cautious steps forward but then stopped and wrinkled her nose at the chaos she saw littering his pizza. He glanced over his shoulder, a smile breaking out over his face at the sight of her.

"It's not going to bite you," he chuckled.

She glared at him and then moved closer. "Can you peel it off for me?"

"No."

She leaned her body against the counter, positioning herself to make sure that he could see her face. Then she contorted her lips into a pout and looked up into his eyes, "Please." He tried to hold a straight face as he looked at her, a slice of pizza held awkwardly in his hand. But after a few seconds of her continued pout, his face cracked and he started to pull off each piece of meat and set it on top of another piece.

Lisa could only handle watching him for a few moments before she started to get frustrated with his fumbling attempt to find the cheese somewhere beneath. She slapped his hands away, taking the piece into her hands as she laughed at him. He frowned over at her, his mouth open and poised to tease her. But then he decided to just watch her as she pulled off the cheese and everything on top of it.

"Oh well… if you wanted to do it the easy way."

"More like the logical way, but sure, easy works too."

She looked over at him over her pizza as she bit down and took her first bite. A smile was playing on his lips and wrinkling the corners of his eyes. It was a start. The start of what, she wasn't sure. But she had tasted her addiction once again and she had no idea how to stop herself from wanting it all again. But, most absurdly, she had realized that she didn't really want to.

/-/-

Okay… so I hope that their history makes sense (and in character for poor Lisa). Please, write some input. About the past. About the future. I'm not picky.

I think I know what's happening next chapter- looks like some more Wilson fun!


	9. Chapter 9

_Author's Note: _Hey guys, sorry about the long wait, but my muse hates me, I swear. I could just never find the time to write this and, when I did, the muse was mute. Well, I hope you enjoy it!

/-/- **Five Months Later**

"Oh! He's got it!"

Lisa's eyes flickered from the screen to the two guys beside her. James was leaning so far forward, she was sure that he was preparing to stand up or tip over. And Greg was no better. His hands were clenched, his eyes were set on the TV, and his lips were muttering a silent mantra, as if it could encourage the players to score. "Go, go, go!"

"Oh come on!" She looked back quickly, soon enough to see that their team hadn't scored. The blue jersey team had the puck again.

"He had it!"

"What was that?"

She felt the couch shift and looked to find Greg collapsing back onto the couch, his head falling back and a groan rumbling through his throat. James, too, had collapsed into his chair, grumbling something about the other team's goalie. She just tried not to laugh as she leaned back as well.

She hadn't been sure about the idea when Greg had first suggested it but it had certainly grown on her. It was almost always a Friday night but, on the off chance that their team wasn't playing, they were flexible about which day they got together. And it was always at James' house- because it needed to be in case Stacy ever tried to reach Greg. Stacy wasn't invited to hockey night- Greg had claimed for years that it was a "guy-bonding" thing, but he had invited her along.

Mostly she didn't want to do it because she was afraid of what James was going to say about the situation- he was an employee of hers after all. But she had quickly learned that he had been a friend of Greg's for much longer than she had realized. He never said anything about it, but she sometimes got the feeling that he had his thoughts about what was happening. Greg just shrugged it off.

But, over the weeks, she had found that he was a really sweet guy with a great sense of humour and, when paired with Greg, he was so much fun to be around.

Even the hockey aspect of their night together wasn't that bad. She asked more questions than they would like and she could never remember anyone's name, but, she was loathed to admit, she had actually found herself coming to enjoy the watching the game.

"Wait… so explain this to me-"

"Not again." She turned to glare over at James, stopping a groan in his throat, before her eyes returned to Greg. She pushed him, teasingly, at the sight of him struggling to contain his smirk.

"A power play, Lisa," she rolled her eyes at the tone he had taken on once again to explain something to her as if she was a moron unable to comprehend fast or long words. But she kept looking at him, hoping that this time his words would finally sink it, "just means that at least one guy on the other team was taken out, meaning they have more guys on the ice than the other team-"

"Which means that they have a better chance of scoring," she nodded, a small smirk settling onto her features. "I got it!"

"Finally," she could hear Wilson groan somewhere. She turned to glare at him but found him relaxing in his recliner, his eyes chuckling and a grin pulling at his lips. "I thought you said you liked hockey."

"I said I like watching hockey. I never said that I knew all the rules."

He just rolled his eyes at her and she resisted the temptation to stick her tongue out at him. His eyes turned to focus on the TV, but soon retreated after he had watched the start of a Toyota commercial. Instead, his eyes roamed over the near empty chip bowl. He pushed himself up, standing awkwardly as he stretched out, and grabbed the edge of the bowl. "Either of you want another beer?"

"Yeah."

"Yes, please," she said as she contorted her body to see up and over the back of the sofa. "Hang on, I'll come with."

"I can handle it," he tried to convince her, but Lisa was already standing, and her hands were already reaching for the empty beer bottles littered over the coffee table. He waited a beat for her, shifting the bowl from resting on the palm of his hand to the hand gripping the edge, back onto the palm of his other hand. When she was clear of the sofa, she looked up at him, and he half led them into the back where both the beer and snacks were hiding.

Wilson grabbed the half empty bag of chips, unrolled it, and started to pour its contents into the bowl. He didn't really see the point to the bowl- it meant that he had one more thing to wash once they had left- but it had been Lisa's suggestion and he didn't mind trying to accommodate her. She was his boss, after all.

From the corner of his eye, he could tell that the refrigerator door was still opened and he knew better than to turn around, because, if he did, he knew that he would find himself face to face with his boss's backside. So he just waited, anxious to avoid that awkward situation again, and started picking at a few chips and popping them into his mouth.

He glanced backwards, thankful to finally see that he could turn around. But he paused for a moment, considering whether or not he wanted to bring up something that had been bugging him for weeks. Five weeks ago, House had unexpectedly informed him that Dr. Cuddy- their boss- was going to join them to watch them game. Which, in theory, was all well and good. He liked Cuddy; Cuddy, in turn, had always treated him well at work. But bringing her over to his house was a little weird. And, when they had showed up, he had been instantly reminded of two very playful friends who were on the verge of sleeping together.

And then he was instantly reminded of the hypothetical House had talked to him about.

He turned around, grabbing the bowl of chips as he went. But he didn't move any further. Instead he watched as Lisa snapped the caps off the three beers. She was beautiful, she was interesting, she was smart, she was funny, but, most importantly, she could handle House. And they had a past- a fact that had taken a lot of weaselling on his part to get out of House. She was the girl who got away; the girl whom he had never stopped pinning over.

"What?"

He looked down suddenly, his eyes searching for something interesting on the floor tiles. But, when nothing presented itself, he sighed and rubbed at the back of his neck. When he looked back up, he found an awkward smirk on her face, and he shrugged, taking in a deep breath before gesturing between her and the living room. "So are you two?"

Shock hit her face first- her eyes widened and her mouth parted before she had words to push past them. But when she composed herself, her eyes began to dance with amusement and her lips curled into a smile. "Sleeping together?"

"Um, yeah," he rubbed at his neck again, forcing his eyes to look at her and not the floor.

She just kind of shrugged at him as she took a step forward, handing him his beer. "No."

He took a moment to process that, looking first at her and then at the archway leading into the living room, his mind's eyes replaying the few encounters he had experienced between the two of them. "But you want to," he looked back at her and she just sighed.

"To want to do something and to have the will to do it, are two very different things."

"If you like him enough to want to sleep with him, you've practically made the jump to actually sleeping with him. Might as well get something for all your troubles."

She laughed suddenly and heartedly and he imagined that it was the absurd logic that had her laughing so hard.

He started to walk back out of the kitchen before she had had the chance to calm herself, but she followed him nevertheless and he felt his stomach tense when he noticed that Greg was twisting to look backwards over the couch, his curiosity evident in his furrowed brows.

"What's so funny?"

"Nothing," she smiled coyly at him as she walked up behind him. James couldn't decide whether to smile as he watched her lean over the couch and graze her lips over his or to let the anger and jealousy wash over him in Stacy's stead. He settled on ignoring the entire occurrence and instead notice the way she handed him his beer and patted his shoulder and asked, "Did we miss anything?"

"Nope, just came back on."

/-/- **Later That Night**

"So, you never did tell me how you and James met."

"Hmm?" He looked over at her as he bound up the last two steps to her doorway. Then he shrugged, her question finally settling in, and he looked over at her as she stopped in front of her door. "Oh, um… he was a third year med student under me."

"When you were an intern?"

"Uh, yeah."

She just shrugged, looking away from him and down at her hand as it dipped into her purse, fishing around to find her keys. "I don't remember you ever mentioning him."

"It was after… all that."

"Oh…"

Greg took a few steps closer, scratching his ear as he watched her trying to get the key into the hole. "So… what was up with kissing me tonight?" He was leaning against the door by then, smiling just a bit. Lisa blushed under his gaze; she could only look away and shrug.

"I just felt like it."

He smirked back, leaning a little closer. "So does that mean I get to kiss you whenever I feel like it?"

She smirked at him but she didn't answer. Her hand twisted the doorknob and she pulled hard enough to get him to move but not quite enough to knock him over. His smirk faltered but didn't disappear. She didn't have to look back to know that he was following her into her house. She shrugged out of her light coat and stepped out of her shoes before she turned to look at him. He was just watching her. "You're not staying."

"Why not?"

"Because you need to get home before Stacy gets worried and calls and starts harassing James."

He shrugged at that and tucked his hands into his pockets. "Um, next weekend, you free?"

"Why?"

"Stacy's got some business thing. She'll be gone from Friday morning until Monday night. I was thinking that I could come over." The question was implied in his eyes, but he never said it and she was almost tempted to ignore it. But then she smiled softly and looked down a little. Her feet led her closer to him against her will.

"Saturday I'm free."

"Good," he smirked, "I'll bring a movie or something."

She smiled. "Bring a good one. Not those horrible B-movies you used to make me watch."

He pouted some, but she knew it was for show. "You take away all the fun." She laughed at that, and even smacked his chest lightly. He just laughed back.

"Now get out of here. I'll see you tomorrow."

He sighed and she raised her hands to his chest. She saw him smirk at the contact; then watched as the smirk disappeared when she started to push him back out the door. He leaned forward when she stopped putting pressure on his chest, his lips suddenly on hers. She stiffened for a moment, surprised, but as her brain caught up, the tension faded. He pulled back, a self-satisfied smirk brightening his features. "I'll see you tomorrow. Goodnight."

"Goodnight."


	10. Chapter 10

_Author's Note: _Hey there! Sorry about the really long wait. But the last week or so at school has actually been a lot more hectic than I thought it would be and, more recently, the tendonitis in my wrist has been acting up, so I'm trying to limit the typing.

Anyway, enjoy!

/-/- **Saturday**

With three long strides across the living room rug, Lisa reached out and snatched her cell phone before it could vibrate off the hall table and onto the floor. "Cuddy."

"Be ready to go when I honk."

"Greg?" She glanced toward the table, as if he might already be there waiting for her. "I thought you were bringing a movie over later?" The smirk on her face was awkward and half forced, she looked down at her feet, watching her toes play with the soft padding, as she waited for a response.

"Eh," She could hear the car engine in the background. She could imagine him driving, his one hand to his ear, the other on the top of the stirring wheel, his shoulders raising in a shrug. "Thought it would be safer to take you and let you pick one out."

She let out a soft chuckle, her eyes closing some and her shoulders shaking a little bit as she thought back on every movie he had ever picked at for them. "Probably a wise move."

"I'll be there in about ten minutes."

"Okay."

"What are you wearing?" The question was sudden and his voice was low and husky and she couldn't help but blush at the tone.

She laughed a little as her eyes fell to the ground first before inspecting her clothes. "Sorry to disappoint but just jeans and a t-shirt."

"Good. I'll see you in a bit." He hung up first- he hated driving and talking on his cell phone- and she flipped her phone closed after, setting it back down on the hall table. Then she looked around herself, not quite sure what to do to fill in the time. She amused herself for a short time with awkward wanderings around her house.

The horn startled her and she jumped a little and her head shot up to look out the window. His car was in her driveway. He was lounging back in his chair, his head tipped back, his hands resting in his lap. She slipped her feet into the shoes she had left near the door and locked her door on the way out. He looked up at her as she hopped off the last step; he smirked at her as she walked around the car.

"Ready?" he asked once her seatbelt was buckled.

"Sure."

She left the car go quiet for a while, more intrigued by the scenery passing by than the silence inside the car, dissipated only by the soft jazz music House had playing. Houses went by followed by stores and buildings that she didn't recognize. She glanced at street signs for a while before she realized that she wasn't entirely sure where they were. "Where are we going?"

"Somewhere."

"This isn't the way to any movie store that I know."

"I know."

"Greg." He just smirked over at her before his eyes returned to the road and he turned them left through the intersection. Her face dropped as she saw where they were going. She could see children, teens, and adults already crowing around, most of them in the centre of the skating rink. "You've got to be kidding me."

He just smiled, glancing at her again as he looked for a parking space. "You're going to love it."

"I can't skate, Greg."

"Sure you can. I'll help you."

It wasn't as hard as she had first thought it would be. It was kind of like ice skating- just without the ice and the cold and the very thin blades.

Okay, she'll admit that she didn't know how to buckle the rollerblades at first. And she did fall on her first two attempts to stand up. And Greg will admit that he was laughing the entire time as he was trying to help her up- even when she pulled him down next to her.

And the actual skating part was pretty fun. They played some horrific music and some music that she actually knew and even a couple of 80's songs that she used to love back in college.

He bought her a coke and they sat on a bench just outside the skating rink and she sat with her feet awkwardly crossed and for the first time she cringed at how much it hurt to have sweaty socks digging into her shins.

She was even surprised to find out that they had stayed there for a couple of hours before she got too tired to race him through the crowds of teens and little kids stumbling around and her socks got too sweaty for her to stand. She ended up going barefoot in her shoes; he just made a face at her.

He was barely half-way back to her house when he stopped. She looked over at him, confused for a just a moment before she remembered why he had originally picked her up at her house. He even opened the door for her and she smirked at his expression when she opened the second door for him.

"Okay, comedy, drama, horror flick, or sci-fi?"

She looked over at him, smiling at his choice of genres. "Comedy or drama. No horror flicks."

"No sci-fi? Come on."

She just laughed and dragged him to a section of movies over in the corner. "How about this one?"

He plucked the plastic from her hands and a face at it. "This thing's only saving grace is that it has Maggie Smith in it. It can be a maybe."

"You like Maggie Smith?"

"Like? I love her."

Lisa just shook her head at him and put the movie back, already searching out another one. "How about this one?"

"Eh…" His face was enough to tell her that it was a no.

It took seven selves, thirty-eight movies Lisa actually wanted to see and twenty-seven others before they finally agreed that the first one with Maggie Smith seemed like a good choice.

Lisa just sighed at shook her head at him as they went to the counter to pay. At least some things about him hadn't changed.

/-/-

Really sorry about how short this one was. But I felt bad about making you wait so long and I'm not sure how long it'll be before the next scene is done. Bear with me. I'll try to get it done before too long.

Hugs, JD


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